


Concession Speech

by deedeeinfj



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-09
Updated: 2013-02-09
Packaged: 2017-11-28 18:20:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/677414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deedeeinfj/pseuds/deedeeinfj
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ben has two speeches to write.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Concession Speech

When Leslie had asked him to write her victory and concession speeches for her, Ben had balked at the idea, and Leslie had resorted to begging. “Please, please, please! I have so much to do, and I can’t even wrap my head around either one of the possible results. They both make my mind go blank, just for different reasons. Please, Ben…” He had tried to argue that she wrote great speeches and that they would be better in her own words, but his points were lost at the feel of her lips and teeth tugging at his earlobe. He had relented to her demands before they even reached the bed. That had been a few weeks ago.

Now, sitting up in their bed with a laptop balanced on his thighs, Ben found himself staring at a blank document and a blinking cursor. The victory speech had been easy; he had polished that one off at least forty-five minutes ago. The concession, though? It wasn’t happening.

He glanced to his left, where Leslie lay – miraculously – sleeping. She was on her side, her body curled towards his. The curled fingers of her right hand rested against his hip.

 _As I look out over this room of friends and supporters_ , he typed,  _I am so…_  The bedroom lapsed back into silence as his fingers stopped tapping away at the keys. He frowned at the screen and held down the Backspace key until his partial sentence was gone.

Leslie couldn’t lose this election. This was the woman who had delivered the Harvest Festival pitch while she was high on flu medication. Then again, for all her tenacity and passion, Leslie couldn’t control how people voted. In the end, this wasn’t in her hands. He knew how much that terrified her.

She stirred and made a little sound in her sleep, and Ben smiled down at her before returning his attention to the speech that was not going to write itself.

 _Citizens of Pawnee, while it has been an honor and a challenge to work to earn your support…_  Another frown, another delete.

How could Leslie lose? Sure, the voting was a variable they couldn’t control, but Pawnee was special and the people were weirdos who cared and Leslie believed in them too much for them to let her down. Ben remembered hearing, as a kid, the Bible story about the shepherd who searches for the one lost sheep. Leslie threw a bowling party to win over one guy who didn’t like her. That’s not a person who loses.

Leslie believed in Pawnee, and Ben believed in Leslie. He closed the program and shut down the computer, setting it down on the floor. The room was dark now that the light from the laptop was gone. Ben scooted down until his head lay on the pillow, and he reached for Leslie. Her petite body settled against his, the tip of her nose tickling his neck.

She sighed a soft, warm breath against his skin. “All done?” she murmured.

“All done,” he said.

“I’m glad this is the last night.” Her words were slow and sleepy. “The last night not knowing.”

Ben smiled because he already knew.


End file.
